Ice Mummy May Have Smashed Eye in Fall

Discovery News ^ | Monday, December 21, 2011 | Emily Sohn

[SunkenCiv]

The official opinion remains that an arrow in his left shoulder was the cause of death for Ötzi. But the new study raises the possibility -- for some, at least -- that he fell over after being shot by an arrow. And, at higher than 10,000 feet in elevation, his alpine fall may have made the situation much worse.

"Maybe he fell down or maybe he had a fight up there, nobody knows," said Wolfgang Recheis, a physicist in the radiology department at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. "With this cut alone, at 3,250 meters, it would have been a deadly wound up there. Bleeding to death in the late afternoon when it was getting cold up there, this could be really dangerous."

Ever since his discovery in 1991, Ötzi has been measured, photographed, X-rayed, CT-scanned and endlessly speculated about. The Iceman Photoscan website allows anyone to scrutinize every inch of the body, which belonged to a 5'3", 110-pound, 45-year old man.

Ten years ago, researchers found a flint arrowhead buried in Ötzi's left shoulder blade inside a two-centimeter (0.8-inch) wide hole. They concluded that the arrow pierced a major artery and killed him within minutes. At a conference in September, experts reaffirmed that assessment.

But in one of the latest studies, Recheis used the most advanced CT-scanning technology available to take a closer look at Ötzi's right eye. Earlier examinations had shown a crack in the skull in that spot. The new work revealed a deep incision in the same place.

[SunkenCiv]

Heike Engel-21Lux/Sudtiroler Archaeologiemuseum/National Geographic Deutschland

[Just another Joe]

That's a rough 45, man.

But considering what he may have gone through in that 45 years, he may look really good for his age.

[dfwgator]

And, at higher than 10,000 feet in elevation, his alpine fall may have made the situation much worse.

It wasn't the fall, it was the sudden stop.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

They didn’t have moisturizer. :’)

[NativeSon]

Bleeding to death in the late afternoon when it was getting cold up there, this could be really dangerous."

Caution: Bleeding to Death could be really dangerous.

but I've had worse.

[Condor51]

Holy Smoke! It's Ron Paul with long hair!

[RegulatorCountry]

That pic brings to mind the old joke about Elvis tattoos and Willie Nelson with his teeth out.

[BlueLancer]

"Caution: Bleeding to Death could be really dangerous.
but I've had worse"

It's only a flesh wound ...

[WOBBLY BOB]

he died fighting for Black Friday gaming system of the time:
a stick with a string attached to the end.

[Free Vulcan]

“You go up there wandering around in those mountains and you’re going to poke an eye out!”

[Vermont Lt]

Cat fat...just like Chapstik.

[bkopto]

Thanks, SunkenCiv!

[marsh2]

It amazes me how little we have changed. I could see that same face in my hometown or in any urban city. I imagine there are many many similarities we just don’t fully embrace.

[ElkGroveDan]

I imagine there are many many similarities we just don’t fully embrace.

After only 5,000 years I can guarantee that he was 100% identical to modern humans in every respect.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Ice Mummy May Have Smashed Eye in Fall

That would make an awesome headline in a regular newspaper's Police Beat section.

[JoeProBono]

[Sacajaweau]

Wow....My ice man didn’t look like that.